the state bedroom. Elizabeth, by the way, when
she came, did not like the odor of the oil, and with an oath tossed both
the oil and the lamp out of the window. The fattest sheep, kine, and hogs
were chosen from the flocks and were brought in to be stall-fed in such
numbers that one might have supposed we were expecting an ogress who could
eat an ox at a meal. Pipers and dancers were engaged, and a merry fool was
brought down from London. At last the eventful day came and with it came
our queen. She brought with her a hundred yeomen of her guard and a score
of ladies and gentlemen. Among the latter was the Earl of Leicester, who
was the queen's prime favorite.

Prior to the queen's announcement of her intention to visit Haddon Sir
George had, with Dorothy's tacit consent, fixed a day upon which the Earl
of Derby and his son, Lord James, should be received at the Hall for the
purpose of signing the marriage contract. Dorothy, of course, had no
intention of signing the contract, but she put off the evil hour of
refusal as far as possible, hoping something might occur in the meantime
to help her out of the dilemma. Something did occur at the last moment. I
am eager to tell you about it, but it must wait its turn. Truly would the
story of this ingenious girl's life make a romance if it were written by a
poet. In her Guinevere and Elaine were moulded into one person with the
tenderness, purity, and fierceness of each.

To postpone further the time of the Stanley visit, Dorothy suggested that
the betrothal should take place in the presence of the queen. Sir George
acquiesced, and in his heart grew less eager for the Stanley match as
Dorothy apparently became more tractable. He was, however, engaged with
the earl to an extent that forbade withdrawal, even had he been sure that
he wished to withdraw.

At the time of which I speak the Earl of Leicester was the most exalted
subject of the realm. He was ardently devoted to the cause of the ladies,
and, although he had fixed his hope on Elizabeth and longed for a seat
beside her on the throne, his inflammable heart was constantly catching
fire from other eyes. He, of course, made desperate efforts to conceal
these manifold conflagrations from the queen, but the inflammable tow of
his heart was always bringing him into trouble with his fiery mistress.

The earl's first glance toward Dorothy was full of admiration. The second
glance was full of conflagration. The second day of the q